New Zealand will require asbestos testing for defined categories of consumer sand products before they can be imported or supplied. The final Unsafe Goods Notice was issued on 23 October after a series of recalls involving play, hobby and decorative products containing sand.
The rule does not take effect immediately. It will begin on 1 February 2027 and is due to remain in force for 18 months. Its purpose is to stop covered products reaching consumers unless testing and documentation requirements have been met.
Which products fall within the notice
The measure applies to toys intended for children under 14 where sand is accessible, as well as toys in which sand sits inside a penetrable coating. It also covers decorative, artistic and craft products containing accessible sand. A product’s name or general appearance is not the deciding point; the type of product and whether the sand is accessible are central to the scope.
The covered range includes toys made from sand or containing it, and can include sand held within flexible materials such as plastic, rubber, silicone, gel or elastomeric material. Rangoli products containing sand and stretchy sensory products containing sand are among the examples identified within the scope.
Important limits on the rule
The notice is not a blanket restriction on all sand. It does not apply to naturally formed geological sand intended to fill sand pits, playgrounds or other recreational areas. Board games are also outside the notice when they do not include or contain accessible sand.
Those exclusions matter because the new requirements are directed at particular consumer products, rather than ordinary recreational sand or every item that happens to use sand in some form. The distinction should help importers, retailers and households identify whether a product needs to be considered under the notice.
What changes for importers and suppliers
Once the notice is in force, covered products cannot be imported or supplied unless the mandatory testing and documentation conditions have been satisfied. A proof-of-testing certificate must be available and must meet specified requirements about its contents and timing. The period before February is intended to give importers and suppliers time to make the necessary arrangements.
The Commerce Commission and New Zealand Customs Service will enforce the notice. The measure therefore places responsibilities on businesses bringing relevant products into the country as well as those supplying them. It does not turn every sand-containing product into a prohibited item; it sets conditions for the defined products before they may be supplied.
What consumers can check
Someone considering a purchase can ask the business for confirmation that a covered product has been tested and that no asbestos has been detected. People who already own sand products are advised to check whether the item has been recalled and to follow the instructions in any recall notice that applies to it.
The new notice is not a finding that every product containing sand has asbestos. Its scope is based on the product categories and conditions set out in the rule. Consumers looking at a particular item should therefore use the relevant product information and recall advice, rather than treating the announcement as a conclusion about all sand products.
Why the notice was introduced
Since November 2025, multiple sand-containing play, hobby and decorative products have been found to include traces of asbestos. By October 2026, there had been 23 recalls involving approximately 46,000 units. A public consultation on a draft notice took place in September, with most submitters supporting the proposed regulation.
The 23 October notice is the final outcome of that process and establishes a time-limited control while longer-term options for asbestos risks in consumer products are explored. The key dates are different: the notice has now been issued, while the testing and documentation requirements start on 1 February 2027.
